The Corona crisis has a firm grip on Europe. In addition to recommendations from the RKI and actual aid measures, fake news is also circulating on the Internet. Like this WhatsApp message.
- The Corona * crisis is currently affecting countries around the world.
- The Robert Koch Institute has issued numerous recommendations to reduce the spread of the virus with simple measures.
- Fake news circulates again and again via WhatsApp and Co.
The fake news on the Internet is not getting any less. Again and again chain letters spread via WhatsApp and Co. that advise against wrong measures or spread panic in the Corona crisis . A new WhatsApp message is now referring to an alleged doctor in the Shenzhen hospital in China.
Corona virus: fake chain letters via WhatsApp
The latest news , which goes viral via WhatsApp , reports about a doctor who works in the Shenzhen hospital, reports the Austrian organization mimikama, which educates about internet abuse and the mirror agrees.
The message always starts differently. There are several versions of it. Basically, however, they all have the same content. A doctor wrote an interesting article that should now be followed and is also explained in the further message.
Coronavirus: WhatsApp message spreads wrong actions
For example, the article mentioned in the WhatsApp message advises drinking hot water against the virus . However, it is not clear whether this actually helps against the corona virus, reports mimikama.
The statement that the nose is not infected with the corona virus is also not correct. A runny nose is not a symptom of lung disease *. However, it is possible to have a normal cold in addition to the corona infection, the portal informs. So this tip can also be misleading.
Coronavirus: Caution should be used with chain letters
Further statements about the size of the corona virus , its distribution and the use of protective masks should also be viewed critically. As has been confirmed several times by various sources, normal protective masks do not help against the pathogen, as the message claims here.
It is therefore always advisable to follow the recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute * and to critically question WhatsApp messages that deal with the topic. Caution should be exercised especially when, as in this case, these messages refer to unknown sources or to "a doctor" without a specific name. This is also recommended by the mirror, which also checked the message.
No hoaxes about the corona virus, but crazy conspiracy theories have been spread these days about an alleged US invasion that is said to be taking place in Germany.
* merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Silas Stein
